"Based upon a theoretical concept of institutional interaction, the author examines how international institutions in the interface of trade and environment exert influence on each others development and effectiveness. It develops a concept of the causal mechanisms of institutional interaction and their consequences for governance within the international system. Subsequently, he analyses the conflictive interaction between the World Trade Organisation and international environmental institutions with trade restrictions and argues that the potential for disruptive interaction originates from both sides alike. Finally, the author identifies a gradually emerging division of labour that perpetuates interaction among the institutions involved, while significantly reducing the degree of conflict in the field." (author's abstract)